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The University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital hosted its Block out Cancer Parade Tuesday afternoon. The event was meant to honor September as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Disney princesses, a therapy dog, the U-M Dance Team and other community partners joined the parade. Attendees cheered with flags and pom poms as they walked the hospital halls lined with patients, staff and physicians.
Luanne Thomas Ewald, chief operating officer of C.S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospitals, said in an interview with The Michigan Daily that the goal of the parade was to spread joy and raise awareness and funds for the pediatric cancer center.
“We thought, ‘What brings smiles to people’s faces other than a parade?’” Ewald said. “So we’re having our own little parade in the hospital. …Federal funding for pediatric cancer is almost nonexistent, so we’re trying to raise awareness (and) to raise funds.”
While Mott focuses on providing clinical care, many of their community partners aim to provide young patients with a sense of normalcy through events like the parade, Ewald told The Daily.
“We’re providing the clinical care, we’re providing the research,” Ewald said. “Organizations like Make-A-Wish fund wishes and fund fun and really help kids get their mind off of whatever they’re going through.”
Michael Hull, CEO of Make-A-Wish Michigan, said he believes the parade serves to support families in their fight against cancer in an interview with The Daily.
“It makes them smile, it makes them know that other people are fighting for them,” Hull said. “The parents are able to see all these people that come together to say, ‘Hey, we have to do more for childhood cancer awareness.’ It’s just really impactful.”
Joseph Burr, one of the patients involved in the parade, said that the event made him feel a part of a larger part of the community in an interview with The Daily.
“I think it was a great event,” Burr said. “Just kind of a quick way to turn someone’s day around that’s been bad … coming out here and seeing what all these people do for everyone in the hospital, and the community is very touching. And I think it’s very special to be a part of.”
Kinesiology senior Kaylee Rodriguez, U-M softball player and cancer survivor who walked in the parade, told The Daily she believes it is important to hold events like Tuesday’s to help patients be optimistic during their fight with cancer.
“I think looking for the positives in that fight just kind of makes the journey even that much better,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said that, during the parade, she wanted to make the children feel understood.
“I made sure that everybody felt known, felt welcomed and really just felt seen,” Rodriguez said. “I think that’s always the biggest thing. I think sometimes when you know you’re going through a fight like this. … It’s very important to just make everybody feel seen.”
Daily Staff Reporter Cristina Micu can be reached at cmicu@umich.edu.
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